Catalina Island Medical Center’s Emergency Department evaluates and treats nearly 1,700 cases a year. The emergency room is staffed at all times and supported by the medical center’s laboratory and diagnostic imaging departments to meet the emergency medical needs of Catalina Island’s residents and visitors. About 100 patients a year require more intensive medical care and must be medically evacuated off the island. Catalina Island Medical Center’s in-patient beds are available for acute care patients. Residents or visitors needing supportive medical care can be treated on the island for conditions such as pneumonia, gastroenteritis, diverticulitis, congestive heart failure or infections requiring intravenous antibiotics. Catalina Island Medical Center also supports the island’s medical needs with in-patient rehabilitation for patients needing therapy services or wound care to recuperate after an acute hospitalization. Long-term care is available at CIMC’s skilled nursing facility, which is supported by physicians, nurses, a medical social worker, a physical therapist, an activities director, a dietician, nursing aides and others. Patients in the skilled nursing facility may have a wide range of medical conditions that require on-going, long-term medical care and support.

Catalina Island Medical Group

Catalina Island Medical Group, the doctors’ office component of the facility, provides primary medical care that includes prenatal care, well child checks and immunizations and vaccinations. Procedures available include laceration repair, suture removal, pulmonary function testing, skin biopsy, mole and wart removal, pap smears and hearing and vision assessment. Diabetes and Chronic Disease Management counseling services are also available. Many popular insurance programs are accepted as are Medi-Cal and Medicare. Programs available for low-income individuals at the medical group office include CHDP, which provides free health screenings and immunizations to low-income, non-insured children; CPSP, a prenatal program for Medi-Cal eligible pregnant women, and PACT, which provides family planning services for low-income men and women.

Social Services
The hospital’s social services department supports the island’s patients through counseling with a licensed clinical social worker, medical social services and referrals and Home Help for seniors. On-island counseling can be supported through tele-medicine visits with a psychiatrist.

Ancillary Services
Laboratory services at Catalina Island Medical Center are provided for the entire facility and are available during regular office hours for non-emergency needs and are on-call for acute needs. Tests are conducted by a certified laboratory scientist and nearly all diagnostic testing is run at CIMC. Tests available include thyroid function, glucose, cholesterol, lipid panel, hemoglobin, therapeutic drug levels for prescribed medications and cardiac panels. The medical center’s diagnostic imaging department features a Siemens Emotion Spiral CT Scanner, full-scope x-ray, bone density scanner and an ultrasound. Radiological technicians are available during regular office hours and are also on-call for emergencies. CT scans and x-rays are interpreted by a licensed radiologist who is available to read studies electronically. Catalina Island Medical Center’s investment in computed radiology (CR) and its Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) allow all radiological images to be both stored and accessed electronically. Images needed by other facilities and providers are presented on a CD. Therapy services which include physical, occupational and speech therapy are available to medical center patients and other island residents. A licensed physical therapist provides evaluation and treatment for all ages. Treatment may include traction, mobilization of joints, massage, wound care, electrical stimulation and gait training.